Like most college students, my roommates and I had a hodgepodge collection of kitchenware in our house.  Mismatched silverware, chipped plates, random mugs – basically, whatever our parents no longer needed in their kitchens came to school with us.  This included a wide selection of scratched pots and pans, some of which were coated with [...]

I was recently asked to try out Salba, a form of the ancient whole grain chia.  It might have the same name as the ch-ch-ch-chia that I spread on terra cotta animals as a kid, but this time around my family and I consumed the chia, and much to my surprise I believe we are [...]

Last week the Breast Cancer Fund released a report about concerning levels of BPA in many prepared Thanksgiving foods.  BPA, an estrogenic chemical linked to breast cancer, is most often found in plastics (one of many reasons I try to avoid plastic altogether).  However, BPA is also found in other surprising places like grocery store [...]

While reading through a local magazine the other week I came across a review of “Homegrown & Handmade,” a book written by Deborah Niemann.  Because she is a local Illinois woman who left the urban jungle in search of the country life, I was instantly intrigued. This is my new favorite book for so many [...]

Shortly before my daughter turned 3, we moved her out of her crib and into a big girl bed.  I must admit that I was a bit anxious about the transition – would she sneak out of bed? would she fall out of bed? would she miss her crib?? To ease her into the idea, [...]

    A fellow Homemade Mother recently emailed me this picture: She took it while visiting her local children’s hospital. Sigh. Not one item in this machine will nourish the body, mind or spirit of an otherwise beleaguered parent looking to pass a few moments while waiting for her child to undergo another test or [...]

About a year and a half ago I wrote a post about my interest in raw milk.  All the milk sold in American grocery stores is pasteurized at either 161 degrees for 15 seconds or 145 degrees for 30 minutes.  Pasteurization kills any dangerous bacteria potentially lurking around, but this process also “destroys enzymes, diminishes [...]

As a Homemade Mother, it is my goal to bring comfort and security to my family.  Whether its a kiss on the knee when Mack trips or a extra long cuddle when Evie has a tummy ache or a bowl of homemade soup when Chris is feeling sick, I’m happy to soothe any boo-boo. I [...]

We recently took a lovely trip to a small island off the coast of Mexico.  With warm temperatures, sunny skies and soft sandy beaches, I was in heaven. The only issue? I couldn’t really relax. With two little ones it takes a mom about 12 seconds to realize that mom doesn’t get a vacation, and [...]

Seven years ago, I weighed 10-15 pounds more than I do now. It took one switch in my regular lifestyle to drop the weight without even realizing what was happening. What did I do? I cut out EVERYTHING that contained high fructose corn syrup. I now check ingredient labels on everything I buy, and if [...]